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"A Guidebook To 'Breaking Bad' Filming Locations: Including 'Better Call Saul' - Albuquerque as Physical Setting and Indispensable Character" (Sixth Edition)
Purchase book at the link.
This book outlines thirty-three circuits that the avid fan can travel in order to visit up to 679 different filming locations for "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" in the Albuquerque area. Some background is provided for each site, including other movies that might have also used the site for filming.
"‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols: Reading Meaning into Sets, Props, and Filming Locations” (Second Edition)
Purchase book at the link.
“‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols,” aims to understand some of the symbolism embedded in the backgrounds of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” in order to decode messages and stories Vince Gilligan and crew have hidden there. A series of tables are used to isolate how certain (particularly architectural) features are used: Gentle Arches, Tin Ceilings, Five-Pointed Stars, Octagons, etc. Daylighting innovations that were either pioneered or promoted in Chicago are examined: Glass Block Windows, Luxfer Prismatic Tile Windows, and Plate Glass Windows.
Certain symbols advance the plot: foreshadowing symbols like Pueblo Deco Arches, or danger symbols like bell shapes and stagger symbols. Other features, like Glass Block Windows or Parallel Beams in the Ceiling, tell stories about the legacies and corruptions of modernity, particularly those best-displayed at Chicago’s “Century of Progress” (1933-34).
Since I kept bumping into Hopi references in “Breaking Bad,” I obtained an authoritative survey on Hopi religious culture, the “Book of the Hopi,” by Frank Waters, published in 1963. This was a fortuitous find. It soon became clear that Vince Gilligan and the creative team at “Breaking Bad” also relied heavily on THIS book.
The various markers used in the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar, henceforth sometimes called just the Calendar, follow symbolism suggested by the Sun Dagger, as presented in Anna Sofaer’s 2008 work, “Chaco Astronomy: An Ancient American Cosmology.”
The storyline of “Breaking Bad” runs for a full year of the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar, starting at Fall Equinox, and runs until the following Fall Equinox. Note that this isn’t the timeline of the show, which runs for about two and a half years, but rather a parallel, completely-separate timeline. The storyline of “Better Call Saul” also runs for a year of the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar.
The presence of a full-year calendar implies that there are four seasons in each show. It’s easier to see the seasons in “Breaking Bad” than in “Better Call Saul.”
Ancestral Puebloan Sun Dagger Calendar
Spirals appear in Native American petroglyphs, as well as in “Breaking Bad,” for example, when Walt enters a “Shooting Gallery” to retrieve Jesse (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). A large spiral with a vertical slash passing through the center is spray-painted on the wall. I taught a class in astronomy a few years ago and this particular spiral rang a bell with me. This spiral likely refers to the most-important set of Native American spirals in the entire Southwest.
These two spirals are the Sun Dagger, a unique Ancestral-Puebloan archaeo-astronomical site located behind three stone slabs on La Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico.
Three stone slabs.
This particular spiral, with a patch of light on the tangential left edge, indicates a Winter Solstice (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). The Hopi believe Kachinas emerge from the Underworld at Winter Solstice in order to prepare the world for a new season of life.
Solstice and Equinox markers in the television show can be identified using the symbolism of the Sun Dagger. Solstice markers will always feature a spiral, with some kind of slash passing through the center. Equinox markers will feature two elements - a circle, plus a dagger. The dagger can be located within the circle, or somewhere nearby.Spirals appear in Native American petroglyphs. The meaning of a spiral depends on context, but often represents the sun and can be interpreted as a masculine symbol.
In “Better Call Saul,” the Fall Equinox marker is the “Crazy Crescents” sculpture on the wall at Loyola’s Restaurant, where Jimmy first meets the Kettlemans (BCS 101, "Uno"). The daggers are crescent tips that poke into the circular spaces of other crescents.
In “Breaking Bad” the Fall Equinox marker is the falling trousers in the “Pilot” episode – the dagger of the pants legs and the circle of the belt line - marking the start of the show (BrBa 101, "Pilot").
Then comes Winter Solstice, called Soyál, which, for the Hopi requires careful study of the sky in order to determine if the sun will return for the New Year. In the TV shows, this interest is expressed with a big display in the sky.
All night long, the Hopi priests watch the sky, looking for evidence that the Winter Solstice has occurred. Walt watches the sky too and sees a different sort of big display (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
“Better Call Saul” extends this interest in the sky to other times, such as Spring Equinox, when Mike shoots Werner (BCS 410, "Winner").
This interest is also present at Summer Solstice, when Stacey and Mike encourage Kaylee to study the constellations (BCS 606, "Axe and Grind").
Most of the symbolism regarding Jane Margolis is Catholic in nature. Still, there is a slot in the Hopi ceremonial calendar at Winter Solstice for Jane, the sacrificial Hawk Maiden of Soyál (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
Betsy keeps her life but she suffers indignities. The creative team liked Betsy Kettleman so much they brought her back for a reprise at Summer Solstice (BCS 602, “Carrot and Stick”).
Then we have the Winter Solstice marker. In “Better Call Saul,” this is the spiral fountain seen here on the left, as Mr. Cumpston chills in the pool at the Tamaya Resort (BCS 201, "Switch"). A jet of water bisects the center of the spiral, and the reflective surface of a nearby tabletop provides the patch of light that labels the spiral as a Winter Solstice marker.
As mentioned before, in “Breaking Bad,” the Winter Solstice spiral is spray-painted on the wall of the “Shooting Gallery” (BrBa 213, ABQ").
At Spring Equinox, in the episode “Face Off,” we see Gus approach Casa Tranquila by crossing on foot a parking circle sporting decorative cobbles arranged in the form of a dagger (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
Here is a Google Earth aerial view from 2011 of the parking circle. I’ve darkened the dagger of cobbles so you can see it better. The dagger’s pointed directly at Casa Tranquila. Note the trailing end of the entrance road, similar to the trailing end of the small spiral of the Sun Dagger. In reviewing Google Earth images of this place, it appears that the cobbles appeared in February, 2011, when filming for Season 4 of “Breaking Bad” started. I think it’s likely that the Breaking Bad crew placed these cobbles there.
Gus walks across the dagger of cobbles (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
In “Better Call Saul,” we have at least one false equinox, when Jimmy triumphs over his brother Chuck (BCS 305, “Chicanery”), and we first see the dagger-and-circle symbol in the mural behind him. It’s only later, though, when Jimmy recovers his bar certification (BCS 410, "Winner"), that the symbol actually carries meaning.
“Breaking Bad” emphasizes the theme of borrowing children. At Skyler’s urging, Marie asks Walt to borrow the children, in order to give Walt and Skyler time to reset their marriage. Later, Hank and Marie return the kids (BrBa 508, "Gliding Over All). This entire subplot derives from a single paragraph in the "Book of the Hopi."
In contrast, “Better Call Saul” emphasizes the theme of borrowing labor: specifically, Jimmy’s on-call video crew (e.g., BCS 506 “Wexler v. Goodman”).
Next, it's necessary to obtain magnetic things for the Kachinas to take to the Underworld (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
Jesse loses his laptop (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
The Hopi obsession with the Great Flood manifests itself with Nacho’s baptism in oil - and I’m pretty sure there’s a bigger story here since there are many uses of oil in religious ceremonies (BCS 603, "Rock and Hard Place").
Skyler too catches onto that preoccupation, which leads her to simulate suicide in the pool (BrBa 504, “Fifty-One”).
The escape from the Great Flood comes up again when Jimmy learns that his client, Mrs. Strauss, has passed away. We see reeds in the foreground (BCS 406 “Piñata”). 
We also see a display of balloons, illustrating the theme of an escape from this world. In “Better Call Saul,” ladders are sometimes used for this same purpose (BCS 406 “Piñata”).
In “Better Call Saul,” Lalo travels all the way to Germany to obtain his Spruce (BCS 606 “Axe and Grind”).
In “Breaking Bad” the story of the pilgrimage becomes Hank’s regretful reminiscence for his carefree job as a youth, tagging trees (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Note the glass spiral on the table. This is the Summer Solstice marker. Just like at the Sun Dagger, a dagger of light bisects the spiral (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
We see Kim wash her hair at the fitness club before sunrise (BCS 303 “Sunk Costs”).
We also see Lalo wash his hair at night at a truck stop just before Summer Solstice (BCS 607 “Plan and Execution”).
In “Breaking Bad,” just before Hank discovers Gale’s copy of “Leaves of Grass,” Marie and Skyler sit in the back yard and discuss hair-care products (BrBa 508 “Gliding Over All”). This discussion seems vacuous, but In Hopi terms, it’s ominous. The focus on hair-care products is a premonition of End Times, and trouble.
Then, there’s the sacrifice of the Eagles for their feathers. In both cases, these Eagles are Gus’ people: first, the assassins that Gus sends to get Lalo in “Better Call Saul” (BCS 510 “Something Unforgivable”). 
And then, the ten imprisoned members of Gus’ team in “Breaking Bad” (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Summer Solstice means the Kachinas disappear to the Underworld. What else do we see in the shows that also disappears at this time? In “Better Call Saul,” the last time we see the tunnel between Gus’ house and his next-door neighbors, the Rymans’ house comes just after Summer Solstice (BCS 609 Fun & Games). 
Kachina Tawa. The half-barrel construction of the tunnel’s ceiling likely refers to Kachina Tawa’s half-forehead socket. We've seen the half-barrel construction before, as a masculinity symbol.
In “Breaking Bad,” after Hank discovers “Leaves of Grass,” we see that the Tawa plaque on the White family’s fireplace is now gone, for good. Kachina Tawa has returned to the Underworld with his feathers and spruce. Hank is on his own. Happy Summer Solstice (BrBa 509, “Blood Money”)!
In the final episode of "Breaking Bad” we watch Walt and Jesse inscribe on the ground the final Fall Equinox marker. When Walt parks his car he insists on driving up to Uncle Jack’s clubhouse in a circular manner – not just to better station his hidden machine gun but also to inscribe his half of the Fall Equinox symbol, the circular part.
Inside the White family home, we see a Tawa plaque on the fireplace (BrBa 205, "Breakage"). Tawa is a Hopi symbol, representing the sun and masculinity, and sometimes represented as a Kachina doll.
Kachina Tawa. What is a Kachina, exactly? “Kachinas are respected spirits and invisible forces of life. … Their chief function is to bring rain, ensuring the abundance of crops."
In the episode “Breakage,” we see a garbage-can lid that resembles the Tawa symbol when Walt tosses away a “Hope” button handed to him by the sympathetic oncology clerk who prepares his bill. Note that this isn’t just a “Hope” button - it’s a “Hop-ee” button – an announcement from the show’s creative team to those in the know that more Hopi symbolism is coming (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Also present in this scene is the Pueblo Deco Arch of the building, which I discuss in more detail elsewhere (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Closely-related to Tawa symbols are Zia symbols. Both are sun symbols and thus masculinity symbols. The frequently-seen New Mexico state flag uses the Zia symbol.
In the movie “El Camino,” as Jesse watches a phalanx of DEA vehicles pass through the intersection of Third St. and Santa Fe Ave. in Albuquerque, we see that a circular tire mark and the intersecting streets form a Zia symbol.
El Camino, which means the road in Spanish, means specifically The Road of Life of the Hopi. The sun travels across the sky on the Road of Life. When the sun sets in the west in the world above, it rises in the west in the Underworld, the land of the dead. The sun travels east in the Underworld and sets, rising again in the east of the world above. Of particular importance is Summer Solstice, when the Kachinas return to the Underworld, celebrated in a ceremony called Niman Kachina.
To avoid unnecessary friction, I have redacted the addresses of all single-family homes in these books. (These addresses are still available at Marc Valdez Weblog, however.) The pictures in the print editions are black-and-white, in order to keep costs down.
"A Guidebook To 'Breaking Bad' Filming Locations: Including 'Better Call Saul' - Albuquerque as Physical Setting and Indispensable Character" (Sixth Edition)
Purchase book at the link.
This book outlines thirty-three circuits that the avid fan can travel in order to visit up to 679 different filming locations for "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" in the Albuquerque area. Some background is provided for each site, including other movies that might have also used the site for filming.
"‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols: Reading Meaning into Sets, Props, and Filming Locations” (Second Edition)
Purchase book at the link.
“‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols,” aims to understand some of the symbolism embedded in the backgrounds of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” in order to decode messages and stories Vince Gilligan and crew have hidden there. A series of tables are used to isolate how certain (particularly architectural) features are used: Gentle Arches, Tin Ceilings, Five-Pointed Stars, Octagons, etc. Daylighting innovations that were either pioneered or promoted in Chicago are examined: Glass Block Windows, Luxfer Prismatic Tile Windows, and Plate Glass Windows.
Certain symbols advance the plot: foreshadowing symbols like Pueblo Deco Arches, or danger symbols like bell shapes and stagger symbols. Other features, like Glass Block Windows or Parallel Beams in the Ceiling, tell stories about the legacies and corruptions of modernity, particularly those best-displayed at Chicago’s “Century of Progress” (1933-34).
In addition, a number of scenes in the show are modeled after Early Surrealist artworks. The traces of various artists can be tracked in both shows, including: Comte de Lautréamont, Giorgio De Chirico, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, René Magritte, Toyen, Yves Tanguy, Remedios Varo, Paul Klee, and in particular, Salvador Dalí.
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Video Presentation
Presentation for the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (February 22, 2025).
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Introduction
Most of the Native American ideas used in “Breaking Bad” and "Better Call Saul” come from the Hopi, a Puebloan tribe from northern Arizona’s high, dry mesas. The Hopi believe the only reason they are able to live in such a challenging place is because of the rainfall they are able to attract through the purity of their rituals.
Since I kept bumping into Hopi references in “Breaking Bad,” I obtained an authoritative survey on Hopi religious culture, the “Book of the Hopi,” by Frank Waters, published in 1963. This was a fortuitous find. It soon became clear that Vince Gilligan and the creative team at “Breaking Bad” also relied heavily on THIS book.
The various markers used in the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar, henceforth sometimes called just the Calendar, follow symbolism suggested by the Sun Dagger, as presented in Anna Sofaer’s 2008 work, “Chaco Astronomy: An Ancient American Cosmology.”
The storyline of “Breaking Bad” runs for a full year of the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar, starting at Fall Equinox, and runs until the following Fall Equinox. Note that this isn’t the timeline of the show, which runs for about two and a half years, but rather a parallel, completely-separate timeline. The storyline of “Better Call Saul” also runs for a year of the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar.
Spirals appear in Native American petroglyphs, as well as in “Breaking Bad,” for example, when Walt enters a “Shooting Gallery” to retrieve Jesse (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). A large spiral with a vertical slash passing through the center is spray-painted on the wall. I taught a class in astronomy a few years ago and this particular spiral rang a bell with me. This spiral likely refers to the most-important set of Native American spirals in the entire Southwest.
These two spirals are the Sun Dagger, a unique Ancestral-Puebloan archaeo-astronomical site located behind three stone slabs on La Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico.
Three stone slabs.
At Summer Solstice, at noon, sunlight passing between the stone slabs forms a dagger of light that pierces directly through the center of the large spiral. At Winter Solstice, two daggers of light bracket the large spiral. Also note the little spiral on the left. At Spring and Fall Equinoxes, a dagger of light pierces directly through the center of the small spiral; the spiral with the long, trailing end.
This particular spiral, with a patch of light on the tangential left edge, indicates a Winter Solstice (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). The Hopi believe Kachinas emerge from the Underworld at Winter Solstice in order to prepare the world for a new season of life.
Kachinas are not deities, but rather helpful spirits that are deeply-involved in daily life. Some 300 or 400 Kachinas are recognized among the Hopi. Some are popular, and others obscure; some fade away even as new ones appear.
Solstice and Equinox markers in the television show can be identified using the symbolism of the Sun Dagger. Solstice markers will always feature a spiral, with some kind of slash passing through the center. Equinox markers will feature two elements - a circle, plus a dagger. The dagger can be located within the circle, or somewhere nearby.Spirals appear in Native American petroglyphs. The meaning of a spiral depends on context, but often represents the sun and can be interpreted as a masculine symbol.Hopi Ceremonial Calendar
Let’s walk through the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar in both "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul." First up is a marker for the Fall Equinox – a dagger shape pointed near, or within, a circle.
In “Breaking Bad” the Fall Equinox marker is the falling trousers in the “Pilot” episode – the dagger of the pants legs and the circle of the belt line - marking the start of the show (BrBa 101, "Pilot").
In “Better Call Saul” this display is a large billboard (BCS 104, "Hero"). You can’t find any billboard in Albuquerque that stands higher above the ground-based viewer than this one. And, of course, in “Breaking Bad” the big display in the sky is the aircraft collision.
All night long, the Hopi priests watch the sky, looking for evidence that the Winter Solstice has occurred. Walt watches the sky too and sees a different sort of big display (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
This interest is also present at Summer Solstice, when Stacey and Mike encourage Kaylee to study the constellations (BCS 606, "Axe and Grind").
Among the Hopi at Winter Solstice, a young girl from the Parrot Clan is chosen to be the Hawk Maiden of Soyál, a kind of sacrifice, in order to ensure that the sun returns for the New Year. Two women take on this sacrificial role in the TV shows: Betsy Kettleman and Jane Margolis. Jane ends up sacrificing her life.
Most of the symbolism regarding Jane Margolis is Catholic in nature. Still, there is a slot in the Hopi ceremonial calendar at Winter Solstice for Jane, the sacrificial Hawk Maiden of Soyál (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
As mentioned before, in “Breaking Bad,” the Winter Solstice spiral is spray-painted on the wall of the “Shooting Gallery” (BrBa 213, ABQ").
After Winter Solstice comes Spring Equinox, whose marker is a dagger shape pointed near, or within, a circle. In “Breaking Bad” we see the dagger and circle symbol in the cobbles of a parking circle as Gus approaches Casa Tranquila for his final meeting with Hector (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
At Spring Equinox, in the episode “Face Off,” we see Gus approach Casa Tranquila by crossing on foot a parking circle sporting decorative cobbles arranged in the form of a dagger (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
Here is a Google Earth aerial view from 2011 of the parking circle. I’ve darkened the dagger of cobbles so you can see it better. The dagger’s pointed directly at Casa Tranquila. Note the trailing end of the entrance road, similar to the trailing end of the small spiral of the Sun Dagger. In reviewing Google Earth images of this place, it appears that the cobbles appeared in February, 2011, when filming for Season 4 of “Breaking Bad” started. I think it’s likely that the Breaking Bad crew placed these cobbles there.
Gus walks across the dagger of cobbles (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
Season 5a of “Breaking Bad,” and Season 6 of “Better Call Saul,” consist of an elaborate series of rituals marking the approach of Summer Solstice, when the Kachinas return to the Underworld, the Land of the Dead. The first thing that needs to be done is to gather the necessary labor. The kiva chief borrows laborers, who are called children, from the village chief, the symbolic father of the village. Later, the kiva chief returns the laborers.
Next, it's necessary to obtain magnetic things for the Kachinas to take to the Underworld (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
The Hopi interpret magnetism in its broadest sense – not just electromagnetic attraction, but anything else that attracts. The Hopi are most interested in collecting Eagles for their feathers, which are best at attracting prayers, and Spruce Trees, which are best at attracting rainfall. Magnets have importance in “Breaking Bad” because the Hopi give them importance.
Jesse loses his laptop (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
The Hopi believe we are currently in the Fourth World. They are particularly obsessed with The Great Flood that ended the most-recent Third World. The Hopi escaped the flood by climbing through a reed into today’s Fourth World.
Skyler too catches onto that preoccupation, which leads her to simulate suicide in the pool (BrBa 504, “Fifty-One”).
For Niman Kachina, the Summer Solstice ceremonies, the Hopi are interested in collecting magnetic things to give to the Kachinas to take to the Underworld. The Hopi interpret magnetism in its broadest sense – not just electromagnetic attraction, but anything else that attracts.
In particular, the Hopi collect Eagles for their feathers, which are best at attracting prayers, and Spruce Trees, which are best at attracting rainfall. Spruce trees don’t grow near the Hopi pueblos, so a pilgrimage has to be arranged to get them.
In “Breaking Bad” the story of the pilgrimage becomes Hank’s regretful reminiscence for his carefree job as a youth, tagging trees (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Note the glass spiral on the table. This is the Summer Solstice marker. Just like at the Sun Dagger, a dagger of light bisects the spiral (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Another event that occurs every few years among the Hopi is “The Night of the Washing of the Hair,” which is a ceremony for new initiates that recapitulates the end of the Third World. We see two hair-washing episodes in “Better Call Saul.”
In “Breaking Bad,” just before Hank discovers Gale’s copy of “Leaves of Grass,” Marie and Skyler sit in the back yard and discuss hair-care products (BrBa 508 “Gliding Over All”). This discussion seems vacuous, but In Hopi terms, it’s ominous. The focus on hair-care products is a premonition of End Times, and trouble.
And then, the ten imprisoned members of Gus’ team in “Breaking Bad” (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Kachina Tawa. The half-barrel construction of the tunnel’s ceiling likely refers to Kachina Tawa’s half-forehead socket. We've seen the half-barrel construction before, as a masculinity symbol.
In “Breaking Bad,” after Hank discovers “Leaves of Grass,” we see that the Tawa plaque on the White family’s fireplace is now gone, for good. Kachina Tawa has returned to the Underworld with his feathers and spruce. Hank is on his own. Happy Summer Solstice (BrBa 509, “Blood Money”)!
Then we have the Summer Solstice spiral markers. In “Better Call Saul,” this is the Alfred-Hitchcock Vertigo-inspired view of the HHM stairwell. At first glance this spiral appears to lack a slash through the center. I believe the concept of a slash is present, however: a diagonal line across the center, from the lower left to the upper right, starting along the line suggested by the standpipe in the lower left corner. This stairwell standpipe is used in “Better Call Saul” whenever the protagonist has nothing going for them, for example, when Kim first seeks an exit from HHM and comes up with absolutely nothing. Like Marco tells Jimmy: “I gotta tell you that standpipes ain’t cutting it for me man. I got nothing.” When Howard runs up this stairwell in a panic over switched photographs, he has absolutely nothing.
In the final episode of "Breaking Bad” we watch Walt and Jesse inscribe on the ground the final Fall Equinox marker. When Walt parks his car he insists on driving up to Uncle Jack’s clubhouse in a circular manner – not just to better station his hidden machine gun but also to inscribe his half of the Fall Equinox symbol, the circular part.
When Jesse takes Todd’s El Camino, he first slams the car into reverse, passes Walt, and then exits forward on Walt’s opposite side, inscribing his half of the Fall Equinox symbol, the dagger shape, pointed directly at Uncle Jack’s clubhouse. Jesse completes the Hopi ceremonial year and then drives off to freedom (BrBa 516, “Felina”).
In contrast, "Better Call Saul" has no formal end. The Fall Equinox symbol is absent. The end of Jimmy's story still lies in the future.
The Calendar markers help provide the framework – the structure – for these shows. Thank you for your attention!
More on Tawa and Zia Symbols
Inside the White family home, we see a Tawa plaque on the fireplace (BrBa 205, "Breakage"). Tawa is a Hopi symbol, representing the sun and masculinity, and sometimes represented as a Kachina doll.
Kachina Tawa. What is a Kachina, exactly? “Kachinas are respected spirits and invisible forces of life. … Their chief function is to bring rain, ensuring the abundance of crops."
In the episode “Breakage,” we see a garbage-can lid that resembles the Tawa symbol when Walt tosses away a “Hope” button handed to him by the sympathetic oncology clerk who prepares his bill. Note that this isn’t just a “Hope” button - it’s a “Hop-ee” button – an announcement from the show’s creative team to those in the know that more Hopi symbolism is coming (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Also present in this scene is the Pueblo Deco Arch of the building, which I discuss in more detail elsewhere (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Closely-related to Tawa symbols are Zia symbols. Both are sun symbols and thus masculinity symbols. The frequently-seen New Mexico state flag uses the Zia symbol.
In the movie “El Camino,” as Jesse watches a phalanx of DEA vehicles pass through the intersection of Third St. and Santa Fe Ave. in Albuquerque, we see that a circular tire mark and the intersecting streets form a Zia symbol.
El Camino, which means the road in Spanish, means specifically The Road of Life of the Hopi. The sun travels across the sky on the Road of Life. When the sun sets in the west in the world above, it rises in the west in the Underworld, the land of the dead. The sun travels east in the Underworld and sets, rising again in the east of the world above. Of particular importance is Summer Solstice, when the Kachinas return to the Underworld, celebrated in a ceremony called Niman Kachina.
The Chaco Meridian at the Sunport Parking Structure in "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul"
Upon multiple rewatches, I see more and more “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” patterns, particularly if they involve Puebloan history in the American Southwest. Starting especially with “Breaking Bad” episode “Breakage,” there are many Hopi references in the shows, and many Puebloan references in general (BCS 205, "Breakage").
The Chaco Meridian, and some Native-American sites on or near its axis.
A – "Sitting around, smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos and [censored] do not constitute 'plans.'" – Walter White (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”). [About 3 feet]
In rectangular space, looking up and northwards.
In rectangular space, looking up and northwards
In rectangular space, looking up and northwards
In rectangular space, looking down and southwards
D – Mike Ehrmantraut retrieves his car keys and ‘Go’ bag (BrBa 507, “Say My Name”). [62 feet]
References
On Feb. 18th, on my most-recent visit to Albuquerque, I noticed that the four filming locations for both television series in the four-story Sunport parking garage (Locations A-D on the accompanying diagram) adhere very closely to the north-south axis of a narrow rectangular space within the parking garage, capped by a skylight. I don’t know about the dimensions of the space, but the skylight dimensions are quite narrow, about 280 ft x 20 ft, for an aspect ratio of 14:1. This north-south axis is notable, because the parking garage itself is laid out on an east-west axis (880 ft x 380 feet), tracking the runways at the Sunport. The rectangular space is visible in the background when Walter urges Jesse to come cook.
Outside the parking garage, curbside at the airport terminal (Location E), there is a filming location. This location lies off the north-south axis, but the camera angle captures the southern end of the axis, where the elevator housing is clearly visible. Years later, Kim Wexler arrives curbside at the exact same curbside spot where Walter White once faked an airplane flight, on a grim mission to reveal all she knows.
Now, why would a north-south axis be important? Puebloan religion venerates the north-south axis. Many significant pueblos and pueblo ruins lie along a north-south axis. Indeed, Aztec ruins, Pueblo Bonito ruins in Chaco Canyon, and Paquimé ruins at Casas Grandes in northern Chihuahua, Mexico, all lie within a couple miles of a direct north-south axis, even though Aztec and Paquimé ruins are 450 miles apart. In the 1990s, archaeologist Stephen Lekson, James Jacobs, and others dubbed this axis the Chaco Meridian, which also appears to include Mt. Wilson in Colorado and the Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming (107°57'25").
I think Vince Gilligan and company sought to commemorate the Chaco Meridian in their TV shows, using the airport parking structure as their canvas. It took fifteen years to fully-execute their vision of the Chaco Meridian (2008-2022). Their discipline and foresight is pretty remarkable!
Here is a key to the filming locations, and their distances off the north-south axis [in brackets]:
A – "Sitting around, smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos and [censored] do not constitute 'plans.'" – Walter White (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”). [About 3 feet]
B – View of Sunport terminal (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”; BCS 612, “Waterworks”). [Zero feet]
C – Gus and Mike discuss the relationship between Walter and Jesse (BrBa 304, “Green Light”). [75 feet]
D – Mike Ehrmantraut retrieves his car keys and ‘Go’ bag (BrBa 507, “Say My Name”). [62 feet]
E – Walter White fakes a plane-trip departure and arrival, and Jesse Pinkman thoughtfully brings a meth lab to the airport (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”); Kim Wexler arrives back in Albuquerque from Florida at the exact same place (BCS 612, “Waterworks”). [300 feet]
B – View of Sunport terminal (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”; BCS 612, “Waterworks”). [Zero feet]
C – Gus and Mike discuss the relationship between Walter and Jesse (BrBa 304, “Green Light”). [75 feet]
D – Mike Ehrmantraut retrieves his car keys and ‘Go’ bag (BrBa 507, “Say My Name”). [62 feet]
E – Walter White fakes a plane-trip departure and arrival, and Jesse Pinkman thoughtfully brings a meth lab to the airport (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”); Kim Wexler arrives back in Albuquerque from Florida at the exact same place (BCS 612, “Waterworks”). [300 feet]
The Chaco Meridian, and some Native-American sites on or near its axis.
Plan view of that portion the Sunport parking structure where the narrow rectangular space capped by a skylight is present.
Below are screen captures from the TV shows.
A – "Sitting around, smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos and [censored] do not constitute 'plans.'" – Walter White (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”). [About 3 feet]
B - View of Sunport terminal (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”). [Zero feet]
B - View of Sunport terminal (BCS 612, “Waterworks”). [Zero feet]
C – Gus and Mike discuss the relationship between Walter and Jesse (BrBa 304, “Green Light”). [75 feet]
D – Mike Ehrmantraut retrieves his car keys and ‘Go’ bag (BrBa 507, “Say My Name”). [62 feet]
E – Walter White fakes a plane-trip departure and arrival, and Jesse Pinkman thoughtfully brings a meth lab to the airport (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”). The elevator structure of the parking structure, at the south end of rectangular space, is clearly visible behind Skyler.
E – Walter White fakes a plane-trip departure and arrival, and Jesse Pinkman thoughtfully brings a meth lab to the airport (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”) [300 feet]
E – Kim Wexler arrives back in Albuquerque from Florida at the exact same place (BCS 612, “Waterworks”). [300 feet]
Below are some of my own [most-recent] pictures of these places.
A – "Sitting around, smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos and [censored] do not constitute 'plans.'" – Walter White (BrBa 209, “4 Days Out”). [About 3 feet]
In rectangular space, looking up and northwards.
In rectangular space, looking up and northwards
Looking northwards from terminal sidewalk towards southern end of parking garage axis and the elevator housings.
In rectangular space, looking up and northwards
In rectangular space, looking down and southwards
C – Gus and Mike discuss the relationship between Walter and Jesse (BrBa 304, “Green Light”). [75 feet]
C – Gus and Mike discuss the relationship between Walter and Jesse (BrBa 304, “Green Light”). [75 feet]
D – Mike Ehrmantraut retrieves his car keys and ‘Go’ bag (BrBa 507, “Say My Name”). [62 feet]
- “Book of the Hopi,” Frank Waters, 1963.
- “Chaco Astronomy: An Ancient American Cosmology,” Anna Sofaer and others, 2008.
- “The Chaco Meridian: Centers of Political Power in the Ancient Southwest,” Stephen H. Lekson, 1999.
- “Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls,” Barton Wright, 1977.
- “Jung and Eastern Thought: A Dialogue with the Orient,” J.J. Clarke, 1994.
- “Sam Shepard – Four Two-Act Plays,” Sam Shepard, 1980.
- "Space, time and the Calendar in the Traditional Cultures of America," by Stephen C. McCluskey, Chapter 3 in "Archaeoastronomy in the 1990s," Papers derived from the third ‘Oxford’ International Symposium on Archaeoastronomy, St. Andrews, U.K, September 1990, Edited by Clive L. N. Ruggles, 2014, Ocarina Books, Ltd.
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